14 days mount Kailash group tour
Kailash group tour has become one of the most popular Tibet travel destinations in the last few years and there are thousands of thousands tourists and pilgrims are visiting Mount Kailash every year. People travel to Mount Kailash from Lhasa through visiting some of the important sites on the way or drive directly to Mount Kailash from Kyirong or Hilsa border between Tibet and Nepal.
The Mount Kailash also known as Gang Rinpoche to Tibetans which means the precious treasure of snow, with the elevation of 6638m (21778ft). It is located in the western part of Tibet. The mount Kailash is a sacred mountain for four different religions like Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism and Bon religion.
The followers of these religions consider the Mt. Kailash as the holiest mountain. The different believes about Mt. Kailash according to each religion are:
- For Buddhism, Mt. Kailash is the adobe of Demchok and his consort Dorje Pagmo and also the meditation cave of Saint Milarepa is there.
- For Hindus, Mt. Kaialsh is the home of Lord Shiva and his consort Parvati.
- To Jain, it is believed that the founder of their religion was awaken spiritually at Mt. Kailash.
- To Bonpo, the Mt. Kailash is the place where their religious leader descended from heaven.
The Mount Kailash tour proffer you to have the distinctive experience of culture, landscapes, different kinds of wild lives, lakes and snow capped mountains, faithful pilgrims and many more….
The Mount Kailash group tour is the most popular tour that’s why every year there have hundreds and thousands of tourist to do Mount Kailash tour. For Kailash group tour, you at least need the holiday of 14 days in Tibet. The Kailash tour can be done in few ways for e.g.
- Overland Kailash tour from Kyirong Border or Hilsa Border
- Lhasa to Lhasa Kaialsh tour
- Lhasa flight to Ali and by road to Lhasa or depart for border or by flight again abck to Lhasa.
Local Tibet Travel Agent like Tibet Shambhala Adventure who has many years of experience and knowledge, can provide you the successful and adventurous tour with verities of Mt. Kailash programs with different highlights of Kailash according to your choice.
WHAT YOU GET TO VISIT DURING 14 DAYS KAILASH GROUP TOUR?
The Kailash group tour starts from Lhasa, the capital city of Tibet Autonomous Region. Like most of other Tibet tours, you are going to spend 3 days in Lhasa visiting the very religious highlights of Lhasa:
The famous winter palace of the Dalai Lama known as the POTALA PALACE, JOKHANG TEMPLE, the oldest and most sacred temple of Tibet, takes a walk around BAKHOR BAZAAR where hundreds of Tibetans are circumambulating around the Jorkhang Temple in order to pay homage to the image of Buddha Shakyamuni.
DREPUNG MONASTERY the largest monastery in Tibet and the second largest monastery in Tibet. SERA MONASTERY and enjoy the popular debating between monks taking place every day except in Sunday.
From day 4, you are going out of Lhasa heading towards Shigatse via Gyantse through three big mountains passes, KAMPA LA the highest pass of these, KARO LA and SIMI LA respectively. YAMDROK LAKE or the Turquois Lake.
Once you get to Gyantse, visit PALCHOE MONASTERY and KUBUM STUPA. In Shigatse, visit Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, the seat of the Penchen Lama and one of the six largest monasteries of Gelukpa school in Tibetan Buddism.
On day 5, you will drive to Sakya where you could visit SAKYA MONASTERY which is founded by Konchok Gyelpo in around 12th century and there you also get to visit the great Buddhist library which has thousands of Buddhist scripture.
From Sakya, you will drive about 485km to Saga then to Drongba County via NAMRING LA with the elevation of 4650mts and you will see amazing view of villages and beautiful NGAMRING LAKE through vast grassland. You will reach Drongba about 8-9 hr. since we need to consider the speed limit.
Next day, you will drive to MANASAROVER LAKE known as Mapam Yumtso in Tibetan with the surface elevation of 4590m. As to Hinduism believes that once he or she swims in the the Manasarover lake and take a bath, his or her sins will be cleansed for hundreds of lifetimes. At the same time, there are lots of Indians doing prayer or puja.
In Bon religion. it is said that the founder of Bon religion called Tonpa Shenrab took bath in the Mansarovar lake after he ascended to the top of the Mount Kailash so the Bonpo also believe Mansarovar lake as a very holy lake for them.
In Buddhism, our lord Buddha used to meditate near the Mansarovar lake on many occasions. Near the Manasarover lake, there is a very beautiful monastery called CHIU MONASTERY built on the hill side with a great view of Mt Kailash from the monastery.
On the way to Mt Kailash, you will encounter beautiful Tibetan nomad camps, wild animals like wild donkey and antelopes etc. From Lake Manasarover, you can see a magnificent and incredible view of Mount Kailash.
Walk around holy lake, visit Chiu Monastery, from monastery, you will have the most beautiful view of Mount Kailash as well as Manasarover lake from Chiu Gonpa.
Once you visit Chiu Gompa and finish exploring around Mansarovar lake, you will be driving to Darcchen which is located to the foot of the Mount Kailash as you need to prepare for the upcoming three days Mount Kailash trekking known as Kailash Kora such as hiring porters or yak through the support of your local Tibetan tour guide.
1ST DAY OF KAILASH KORA: First day of Kailash Kora starts from Dharchen with the elevation of 4560m. After around 2 hr. of walk, you will reach at Dharpoche where you will see huge prayer flag pole which is changed every year during the Saga Dawa Festival.
During Kora, you will meet lots of Tibetans doing the same kora. Continue walking towards DIRAPHUK which is a small monastery that you can visit during your Kailash Kora and it is also the first night stop with a great view of Mount Kailash north face. It will take 6-7 hr. of walk to reach Diraphuk.
2nd DAY OF KAILASH KORA: Starting from Diraphuk to Zutrulphuk with the average elevation of 4810m. Today’s trekking is the most difficult day during your Kailash Kora as you are going to ascend to Drolma La with the elevation of 5630m and steep down to Zutrulphuk.
Zutrulphuk monastery is the magical cave where Mila Repa saint used to meditate in the 11th century when he visited Mount Kailash. It will take 8-9 hr. walk to get to Zutrulphuk.
3rd DAY OF KAILASH KORA: Starting from Zutrulphuk to Dharchen, the last day of Kailash Kora as well as the easiest walking day. Today, you will have a beautiful view of Lake Rakshas Tal from distance when you are trekking down in the valley and it is also the ending point of Mount Kailash Kora. From there, you will drive towards Lake Manasarover.
Next day you will drive from Manasarover to Saga via Drongba County through the vast Tibetan plateau and grassland where you will see some wild animals like wild donkeys known as Kyang in Tibet.
Continuously drive to Shigatse through beautiful mountains views, villages, grassland etc. From Shigatse, you will directly drive to Lhasa along the Brahmaputra River. Brahmaputra river is started from Mount Kailash, it flows through the western plateau, Shigatse, Tsetang valley and then to Nyingtri where it makes a grand Canyon and finally empties into India. .
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO VISIT MOUNT KAILASH?
The best time to do the Kailash Tour is from May to October. From June to September you will meet many pilgrims doing Kailash Kora. Especially in June, it’s Saga Festival and in Dharpoche, there will have a big religious ceremony and will change the prayer flag like every year.
At the highest peak of Kailash Droma La pass, you will see snow during most of the period almost throughout the year. The temperature normally drosp below zero on the top of the pass during the summer as well when the weather is cloudy or snowing on the top.
ACCOMMODATION AROUND MOUNT KAILASH
These days, the accommodation condition in Kailash area has been improved a lot. But still the guest houses around Kailash Kora are still very basic comparing to other parts of Tibet.
On the way to Mount Kailash, the accommodation in In Drongba, Saga, Kyirong, Tholing and Dharchen: they have some good hotels from 3 to 4 star hotels like Himalaya Hotel, Changbao Hotel, Saga Hotel, Norling Hotel, Kyirong hotel etc. which can provide attached bathroom, where you can take hot shower.
But in Manasarover Lake, Diraphuk, and Zutrulphuk, they have very basic guest houses or lodges where you have to use public toilet on these places and also you have to share the rooms as dormitory rooms.
If you choose to do camping during Kailash tour, you can do that and we can provide you all camping equipment and cooking team which makes trip more deluxe and comfortable during three days Kailash Kora and around Mansarovar lake but the trip cost makes much higher than staying in guest houses because of extra support truck, equipment and cooking team.
WHAT TYPE OF FOOD YOU WILL GET DURING KAILASH TOUR?
For Kailash tour, you cannot expect lavish meal like other place of Tibet. There are only small restaurants in Kailash area where you will find Tibetan noodles, fried rice, steamed momo, some vegetable with meat etc.
During Kora, you can prepare some instant food, fruits etc. you will encounter some food seller where you will get noodles, fried rice, vegetable and potatoes, snacks water etc. during kora.
TIPS TO AVOIDE HIGH ALTITUDE SICKNESS
Since Kailash group tour starts from Lhasa where you get to acclimatized gradually to high altitude. You need to stay hydrated all the time, drink water as much as you can, eat lots of fruits and green leafy etc. don’t let yourself to catch cold which is very dangerous for high altitude sickness, you must avoid alcohol and keep your immune system strong.
Tibetan herbal medicine called HONGJIINGTIAN and GAUYUANAN helps a lot to prevent from high altitude sickness. Also the medicine name DIAMOX can also help but it cannot get in Tibet, you have to bring it with you from your place if necessary.
Just in case you are sick from altitude and dos not help even if you take some medicine, then contact with your local Tibetan tour guide and go to the hospital or to the lower altitude place.
Kailash Group tour can give you the lifetime experience with amazing landscape, Tibetan nomadic camp, vast grassland, holy Manasarover lakes, magnificent Mount Kailash etc. also you get to see lots of different religious pilgrims and tourists as well as local people doing kora around Kailash. You can experience abundant of religious site and monasteries throughout the Kailash group tour.
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